Keeper mechanism



Dec. 18, 1951 D. R. SHIRLEY KEEPER MECHANISM 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed April 20, 1948 JNVENTOR. Daniel P. Slur-leg Patented Dec. 18 1951 OFFICE 2,578,848 KEEPER MECHANISM Daniel R; Shirley, De Quincy, La.

Application April 20, 1948, Serial No. 22,121

3 Claims.

This invention relate to gates, and more particularly to gate latching structure.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved gate device which is very simple in construction, easy to manipulate by adults but not opened readily by children or animals, and which is useful as a farm gate, yard gate, or at any other location where a latched gate is desirable.

A further object of the invention is to providean improved gate latch structure which involves only a few parts, is very durable, and which permits the gate to be swung on either side of the latching post so that it may be opened either inwardly or outwardly with respect to the enclosure with which it is employed.

detail view taken of the top portion of the gate structure of Figure 1 showing the top cross bar in open position.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional detail view similar to Figure 4 but illustrating a modification of the latch structure of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, designates the main bod of the gate, said body having a plurality of vertical bars l2 which are secured to top and bottom horizontal bars l3 and '|4. Secured to the ends of bars l3 and I4 is a vertical bar l5 provided with upper and lower screw eyes It and I 6'. Designated at I! is a vertical post having a sharpened lower end l8, whereby post I1 may be driven into the ground. Post I! is provided with vertically aligned L-shaped hinge screws I9 and 20 on which the respective screw eyes It and I6 are engaged, pivotally supporting the gate H for swinging movement around the vertical axis defined by the hinge screws I9 and 20.

Designated at 2| is a vertical post member having a sharpened lower end 22. Post member 2| is driven into the ground adjacent the free end of gate body Rotatably secured to the intermediate portion of post member 2| are respective star-shaped cam members 23 and 24 located in the same horizontal plane and spaced symmetrically with respect to the vertical plane of the gate.

Secured to post member 2| below the plane of cam member 23 and 24 is a triangular lug 25 whose apex is directed upwardly and is located in the vertical plane of the gate equidistant from the rotatable star-shaped cam members 23 and 24. In the specific embodiment illustrated herein, each cam member has four equally spaced radial arms 26.

Pivotally connected at 21 to one of the intermediate vertical bars I2 is a latch bar 28 which extends through va vertical slot 29 in the end vertical bar 12 and is provided with a cylindrical head 30 at its free end. As shown in Figure 4, head 30 is engageable between the star cams 23 and 24. A coiled spring 3| connects the intermediate portion of latch bar 28 to the upper horizontal bar l3 of gate body and biases latch bar 28 to the position shown in Figures 1 and 4,

whereby the gate body H is held against inward or outward swinging movement. Pivotally connected at 32 to latch bar 28 is a vertical rod 33 which passes slidably through a vertical slot 34 in upper horizontal bar l3 and is provided at its top end with a push knob 35. By pushing downwardly on knob 35, latch bar 28 may be rotated clockwise, as viewed in Figure 1. The axis of head 30 is normally in the same horizontal plane as the axes of cams 23 and 24. When latch bar 28 rotates downwardly, the axis of head 30 moves below said horizontal plane, and the gate may then be swung either inwardly or outwardly. Downward movement of head 3|] is limited by the apex of lug 25. When head 30 engages said apex, only a small amount of force is required to swing the gate since the cams 23 and 24 will then be freely rotatable to allow the head 30 to disengage itself from one of the other of said cams. To close the gate, push button 35 is depressed sufiiciently to lower head 3|] from a dead center relation with either the cam 23 or 24 when it engages the cam. As the gate is swung closed, head 30 rotates the cam it engages and is moved thereby into locking position above the apex of triangular lug 25, said lug cooperating with head 30 to guide it into locking position between the cams 23 and 24. As head 30 reaches a position above lug 25, spring 3| rotates latch bar 28 upwardly, causing head 30 to rise to dead center position between the cams 23 and 24, illustrated in Figure 4.

In the modification illustrated in Figure 6, the post member 2| is provided with merely a single rotary star cam 36 and secured on said post member below cam 36 is a bar element 31 formed with a V-notch 38 vertically aligned with the axis of cam 36. When the gate is in a locked position,

standing gate post intermediate its upper and lower ends for rotary movement about a horizontal axis, and a vertically disposed projection fixedly secured to said gate post positioned below head 30 is engage between the lower radial 6 and spaced from said cam for receiving therearms of cam 36 and is sea ed i the v-notch between a free end of a vertically movable latch The gate y e p d y exerting Sufiieient bar, said cam being adapted to engage the free horizontal force thereon to cause head 30 to end of said latch bar and being rotated respon rotate. a AS gate iS-SWung, ,Spring 3' .vsiverto the vertical movement .of. said.. latch bar assists head 30 imrotating cam 36, whereby said 10 to Sampmjection; 1 head may disengage itself from the V-notch 38. 2. A keeper mechanism omprising ertically In closing the gate, head 30 is moved against the (disposed star shaped cam mounted on an cam 35, forcing Cam to rotate and P move standing gate post intermediate its upper and the head into the V-notch 38, Here agamrp lower. ends for rotary movement about a horikn b 35 y be d p d slightly o 10Wer e ,zontalaxiseand a vertically disposed bar element 30 from a dead center relation to cam 36 as'it fixedly Secured Said gate post positioned below ns i locking m V and "spaced from:v said cam for receiving the free secured to the p end of P member are end .ofa vertically movable latch bar, said cam a pa r Of Sheri? herizqhtal Parallel bars' 39x39 being adapted to engage the free end of said formed adjacent their -inner ends with al gned latch bar and being -e tated responsive to the wtrans've ser ov 40, Secured to e: *VertieaMmOVement-orsaid-latch bar'=relative to "enjd'-'of post member 2| are similar'inwardlyexaid bar e1ement',ithere being a V-shaped notch tending parallel horizontal bars 4|, 4|. 'Secured iinfitheiuppefedge of i b 1 m; for t- *transvers'ely to bars'tee, 39' inwardly "of grooves 'i' in'gly receiving"the'freeend of said latch: bar --i40,i"- leis a pin member :32. Designated at 43 is yzivhen' theiatter has executed its Vertical movea cross bar formed with an inwardly-tapering ;m t 1 1; s bar element "s'l'ot} 44 throughwhichpindZ passes, the cross bar "3 .:Azkeepermechanism comprising a. pair of 43 bein .-thereby movably secured between :the 1;' v haped. 33,1115.'alt'ral'lged in spaced relation r'espeetive" parallel bars "39, 32- and ll, 41. *S8 and in the same vertical planexpositioned adjacured transversely to cross-bar'fi is a shortlockftcent to;a:..gate post: intermediate its upper and e 45 W C engageable grooves dowel-fiends,'each cambeing'mounted on said gate 505 40 to lock cross bar 43 against endwisemovepost for rotary movement about a horizontal axis, f-=ment'-when" it'is' in the pos t Shewnin es 1 'a andza vertically disposed triangular lug having h -r2, As shown in Figure 3, cross bar is its apex'contiguousto and'substantially centrally formed-w-ith shallow notches '46 and d1 respec- '35'.:bet en::said'pair o-fcams'"fixedly secured to said 'tiv' y' c vi et op'e ds o post me rs ii gate post positionedfbelo'w and 's'pacedfrom' said and 2|. Inithislpositiori p 'is in th pp cam's for receiving therebetween' the free end of left hand cornerof slot 44, as shown in full line a' vertically movablelatch' bar, said pairof cams view inFigure 3- "By lifting cross bar' i3 slightly, *beinga'dapted to 'eng'age therebetween' thefree -bar 45 may be disengaged from'rgrooves 30, 49 40 end of said latch bar andtbeing'rotated responsive 'and-recesses: 46 and may bedisengaged from fito'ithewertical movement of said latch bar relarsthe" top'eiids of-post members "l1 and 2|. Cross ltive to'saidilug. ba1-43=may then be moved endwise to the left as 'DL R. SHIRLEY. shown in dottedview in Figure'3 to a position whreinfthe freeend oi -the cross bar clears .post 45 REFERENCES CITED --mernber-2 l. The cross bar ay t be allowed ""Thefollowing"references are of record in the *to "drop to a vertical position, as shown in file of this t F-igure'fi, allowing relatively high loads to pass through the-gate. "By reversing the above de- UNITED STATES? PATENTS scribed procedure, the cross bar 43 may be re- 160 Number Name Date turned toits horizontal locked position. $320,929 e 5 While certain specific embodiments of agate 15541674 Garretson 'Feb."18,"1896 "latching structure have been disclosed in the "7 968 -Jentz "Sept. 27,1904 foregoing description, it will be understood that ,64 iMeKimley L -various modifications within the spirit 'of theiififi 1,055,613 Connor 'Mar. 11,1913 invention may occur to those skilled in the art. 11,264,034 Jungem'ann pr- 3,1918 Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be 51345 3 01 Willis "June '19, 1923 placed on the invention except as defined by 0 ,992 ste'wart' Aug. 12,1924 the'sc'ope of the appended claims. Denny Oct. 31, 1933 T'FFNhgbi claimed i 1 1'1s997,199 #Pranger Apr.9, "1935 1. A keeper mechanism comprising a vertically 'i a n Feb. '20, 1951 disposed star shaped cam mounted on an up- 

